Self-latching milk bottle box



Dec. 20, 193s. A. L.. WILLETT 2,149,779 'y SELF-LATCHING MILK BOTTLE BOXFiled April 25, 1958 4 www@ ff -i @I F, v

EZ W5 )4M/MW Wfl/5U Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES rnfrialvfrvOFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in milk bottle boxes or casingsand has reference more particularly to a self latching milk bottle box.

Milk is almost universally delivered to. customers in glass bottles andsince the deliveries usually take place at night or in the earlymorning, it sometimes happens that milk thus left handily available isstolen. In cold weather the milk also freezes if left exposed too long.

It is the object of this invention to produce a two compartment selflatching box, one compartment of which is provided with a cover andwhich is so constructed that when the milk is delivered it is placed inthe covered compartment and the cover closed. A spring latch holds thecover in closed position until it is opened by a suitable means. The boxcan be made of any suitable material, but is usually made from wood orfrom a brous press board of the type known as Celotex. When the box ismade from a material of poor heat conducting material, it serves toretard freezing in cold weather.

In order to describe this invention so that it can be readilyunderstood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in whichthe preferred embodiment has been illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the box with the cover closed;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2 2 Fig. 1 and shows theparts in locked position;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 Fig. 1 and shows the parts withthe cover unlocked.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but shows the cover locked; and

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 Fig. 4.

The box is of usual construction and has a bottom 5, two sides 6, twoends l, a cover 8 and a partition 9. In the drawing the box has beenshown of considerably greater length than Width and of a height-slightlygreater than that of a quart milk bottle. The interior of the box isdivided into two compartments A and B by the partition 9 which issecured between the sides 6 so as to rock about a pivot I0. CompartmentB is of a size to receive a quart milk bottle with a small clearance.

At the lower end of compartment B is a false bottom II which is elevatedabove the upper surface of bottom 5 so as to leave space for a helicaltension spring I2 whose ends are anchored to the end wall 6 and to thelower end of partition 9. Spring I2 is quite powerful and is under quitehightension when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, so thataconsiderable force is required to tilt the partition from that positionto the one shown in Fig. 3.

The cover is attached to one end wall I byY means of hinges I3 that areof a peculiar construction and which each consists of a metal platewhose lower end is inserted in a slot cut in the upper end of wall I andwhose upper end is positioned in a similar slot in the corresponding endof the cover. Two pins secure the hinge plates to the box end and asingle pin I4 secures: the cover to the upper ends of the hinge plate.Secured to the under side of the cover near its movable end, is a noseplate I5 having a hole for the reception of the pin I6 on the partition.When pin I6 is in the hole in plate I5 the cover is locked in closedposition and cannot be opened until the partition 9 is rocked about itspivot to the position shown in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that a cam surface is formed on the outside of thepartition by a strap II whose ends are attached to the partition byscrews, as shown.

Let us now assume that the customer has an empty quart milk bottle andexpects the milk man to deliver another in the morning. He inserts theempty bottle in compartment B and when this engages the cam surface ofstrap II it rocks the partition to the position shown in Fig. 3, inwhich position cover 8 is unlocked. The milk man opens the cover, puts amilk bottle into compartment A, closes the cover and removes the emptybottle from chamber B. Pin I6 projects through the opening in plate I5and locks the cover.

When the customer wants to remove the milk, a quart bottle is insertedin chamber B and this serves as a key to unlock the cover.

If the cover is locked when the milkman comes to deliver, he merelyuses: one of his own bottles to unlock the cover.

It will be seen from the above that this safety box is of very simpleconstruction and is quite reliable in its action. To a person notacquainted with its construction it is very difcult to open as spring I2is made so powerful that it is difficult for even a strong person torock the partition. Owing to the wedge action between the bottle and thecam surface, the partition can be rocked against a very strong force.

The hinge is so constructed that it will stand up under rough usage andis both strong and cheap to construct.

It is, of course, possible to substitute for the helical spring anotherequivalent spring and to 55 substitute for the cam I1 some specicallydifferent cam surface. It is also evident that the position of the pivotI can be raised or lowered to secure the best results. The latch shownis merely illustrative of means for this purpose and specicallydifferent latching means can be substituted.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A selflocking milk box comprising in oombination, an open box having parallelsides, a partition positioned between the sides, nearer one end than theother, whereby the bo-x is divided into two compartments of unequalsize, a cover hinged to one end wall of the larger compartment, amovable edge of the cover terminating adjacent the wall of the partitionfacing the smaller compartment, the smaller compartment being open, apivot operatively connected with the partition which is rockable aboutthe pivot, means comprising a spring, forming a resilient connectionbetween the partition and the box, -the spring tending to move the lowerend of the partition into the smaller compartment, means comprisingstops carried by the box for limiting the rocking of the partition bythe spring, a perforated nose piece secured to the under side of thecover adjacent the partition, a pin on the partition positioned to enterthe hole in the nose piece when the cover is closed, and an inwardly anddownwardly ranging cam member secured to the partition, below the pivotand on the side of the smaller compartment.

2. A self latching milk box having two compartments separated by apivoted partition, a cover for one of the compartments, hinged to onewall of the box, the other compartment being open, cooperating latchingmeans carried by the under side of the cover and the upper end of thepartition, false bottom in the open compartment, spaced from the bottomof the box to form a chamber for a spring, a helical tension spring inthe chamber, the spring connecting the lower end `of the partition withthe corresponding end of the box, and a cam member attached to thepivoted partition, on the'gside facing the open compartment, the camsurface being outwardly and downwardly inclined.

3. A self latching milk box having two compartments separated by apivoted partition, a cover for one of the compartments, hinged to onewall of the box, the other compartment being open, cooperating latchingmeans carried by the under side of the cover and the upper end of thepartition, the partition being pivoted at a point intermediate its ends,a spring forming a resilient connection between the partition and thebox for urging the upper end of the partition towards the coveredcompartment, and a cam member attached to the side of the partition,below the pivot point, the cam being in the open compartment.

ARTHUR L. WILLETT.

